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International Cricket Council picks India’s Srinivasan as Chairman

Newly elected International Cricket Council chairman N. Srinivasan of India, left, spoke at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 26, 2014.

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Narayanaswami Srinivasan was confirmed Thursday as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council after the world governing body for the sport approved controversial constitutional amendments at its annual conference in Australia which gives more power to the three big cricket-playing nations: India, Australia and England.

Mr. Srinivasan, 69, who earlier this year emerged as a frontrunner for the role, said he was “humbled” to be chosen to lead the ICC and was looking forward to his new assignment, making him one of the most powerful men in the cricket-administration world.

“I will leave no stone unturned in trying to strengthen the pillars and foundations of our sport, both on and off the field. I want to ensure that cricket retains and grows its popularity, and that the ICC plays a leading role in this global growth,” said Mr. Srinivasan, who will take charge once the ICC’s annual conference ends on Saturday in Melbourne. His term as chairman ends in 2016.

The constitutional changes that were approved give Australia, India and England more power and revenue compared to other ICC member countries.

Earlier this year, Mr. Srinivasan, who is from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, was told by India’s Supreme Court to step aside as president of Indian cricket’s governing body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, due to an ongoing illegal betting investigation related to last year’s Indian Premier League. Since late March, former India team captain Sunil Gavaskar has been the BCCI’s interim president.

Mr. Srinivasan is not accused of wrongdoing, but his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, who was on the management team of the Chennai Super Kings, an IPL team, was indicted by a Supreme Court appointed panel of illegal betting and passing on information about team strategies to bookmakers.

“My conscience is very clear that there is no taint on me,” Mr. Srinivasan told reporters after he was confirmed as the ICC’s new chairman Thursday in Melbourne.

Commenting on accusations against his son-in-law, Mr. Srinivasan said: “There are some charges against him. He has to defend himself in court.”